The Emerald Curtain
by KobaltWolf
Summary: After his fight with Ichigo, Ulquiorra is dumped in the world of One Piece. Now, he's been mistaken for a pirate by Marines, while Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander seeks vengeance against him. Can Ulquiorra find a way home, or will he die trying?
1. Island of the Race that Doesn't Exist

**Title: The Emerald Curtain**

**Author: KobaltWolf**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Minor language and violence**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own _One Piece_ or _Naruto. _ They are the property of their respective owners. However, I do own any OCs that might appear**

**Summary: After his fight with Ichigo, Ulquiorra is dumped in the world of One Piece. Now he's been mistaken for a pirate by Marines, while Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander seeks vengeance against him. Can Ulquiorra find a way home, or will he die trying?**

**Hello, peoples! So sorry I haven't been able to post lately. I've been on vacation, had a tooth infection, and my dog is having kidney failure :'(, so I haven't had much time. This is a new story I've been working on, a crossover between Bleach and One Piece, though it's almost completely set in the One Piece world. It focuses mostly around Ulquiorra, but there will be a lot of Portgas D. Ace later in the story as well. **

**I've been _trying _to write _Gift of the Outcast_, but I'm having little luck. I will finish it though! *determined face* **

**Anyways, hope you like it!**

~/~/~/~

_Ugh._

A fitting thought, seeing as Ulquiorra was lying on his back in an unknown jungle with some unknown lizard about to bite down on his head. His eyes widened a fraction. "_Bala._"

"GRUAHHH!" The monster, if he was fit to call it such a name, reeled back in surprise, clutching the newly appeared, rather clean hole through its chest.

Raising an eyebrow, the Espada rolled to his feet, side-stepping as the thing's tail crashed down beside him, sending debris flying into the air. Without hesitation, it wheeled towards him, beady black eyes narrowed with pain, and opened its mouth, revealing a set of teeth (I mean honestly, they were the size of carving knifes) that would make a Gillian (obviously not an Adjuchas) give a second thought (if it had any form of thought) about ceroing it (which it then would because it lacked any form of thought.) And then the thing would die. Like it was about to now.

_BOOM!_

Ulquiorra glanced down at the smoking crater he'd just created, the lizard's prone and burnt body flopped in the center. He cracked his knuckles. It wasn't even _worth_ a cero.

The Espada turned on his heels, cat-like green eyes scanning the surrounding flora. _Hm. This isn't Hueco Mundo_. He could have face-palmed. _That_ was his first thought? He was the Fourth Espada and _that_ was his first thought?

His eye twitched.

_Obviously,_ this was not Hueco Mundo. The Hollow's domain lacked any form of vegetation, other than those crystalline structures sprouting from its desert. Also, the sky wasn't _glaring blue._

_The Seretei?_

Ulquiorra doubted whether the Shinigami would allow such creatures as the lizard thing to roam their forests.

_So the World of the Living._

It was the only other possibility. The Shinigami trash had thrown him into some kami-forsaken jungle, most-likely in close proximity to the equator of the earth. Lovely. However, the solution was simple. The Espada raised a hand to the air. "Garganta."

. . . .

"_Garganta._"

. . . .

"_**Garganta.**_"

. . . .

. . . .crap.

So the orange-haired trash had somehow sealed his ability to open a _Garganta_? Impressive. For trash.

The Espada sighed. It would seem he would have to use the old fashioned way to get home: sonido. Yet, he would first have to find out where he was. He raised his foot, stepping onto an invisible platform of air. He brought the other foot off the ground.

_BOMP!_

"_Kuso._"

Eye twitching, Ulquiorra slowly got to his feet. Something wasn't right. He lowered himself to the ground, crossing his legs in the classic lotus position, and closed his eyes. The Arrancar remained in this position for nearly a half-an-hour, never moving in the slightest. About twenty minutes into the meditation, a butterfly attempted to land on his shoulder. It was incinerated in a _localized _burst of reiatsu. Finally, his eyes snapped open.

His reiatsu had dropped 65%.

And not just exhausted, which would be reattainable, but just _gone._ A whole chunk of his reiatsu had disappeared into thin air.

He vaulted smoothly to his feet.

And that wasn't the only thing. The World of the Living had a fair amount of latent reiatsu, which both Arrancar and Shinigami alike compressed to form the reiatsu platforms they 'flew' on. This jungle had nearly no latent reiatsu at all, a very unusual phenomenon. But Ulquiorra had a theory.

He punched the nearest tree. It shattered on impact.

He just needed to find some people to confirm it.

The black-haired Arrancar glanced upward. And the quickest way to find people? Find the highest point in the near vicinity.

Focusing his reiatsu to his feet, he leaped upward, soaring several dozen yards into the air, before landing effortlessly among the fronds of a particularly tall palm tree. Yes, he couldn't _fly_, but he sure as heck could _jump._

He blinked.

The first thing he noticed was that, to the east and west of his position, two huge, white-gray masses, resembling. . . . _skulls?. _. . .rose from the canopy. His eyes narrowed. Very curious. He knew of no living animal large enough to fit proportionately with the _'skull'_ like things. . . .

The Espada shook his head slightly.

This was _not_ the time to debate the fauna of _Earth! _

Gritting his teeth, Ulquiorra scanned the rest of the landscape. The ground was covered almost entirely by jungle, punctured only by the rare meadow and the river that flowed from the southwest. To the north and south, volcanoes smoked, one having just erupted, presumably seconds before his arrival. And the most _important_ point? It was an island. In the middle of the sea. Inhabited by dinosaurs.

_Grand._

_BOOM!_

Ulquiorra eyes widened as the tree underneath him swayed dangerously.

_Where did that shockwave come from?_

He grappled with the fronds in order to stay upright. Sadly, the palm couldn't handle the stress. _KREAAAK!_ The Arrancar twisted midair, pushing off the tumbling trunk with his toes. Shooting upward, he made a grab from the nearest standing tree, which happened to be yet another palm, a different variety of course. His clawed hands closed around a bushel of its fronds, and he pulled himself out of the way of a squadron of flying debris, only to have the tree crack under the unexpected weight. He growled.

The Espada flew into the air, twisting mid-leap in order to maximize distance—

_BOOM!_

The island shook as yet another tremor rocked the vicinity.

He grimaced as his trajectory lilted to the left. The problem you ask? He was going to shoot by the tree he was targeting in favor of the cold, hard ground. He made a grab for the trunk, fingernails digging into the bark for friction. The action slowed his speed enough that he was able to swing his legs around the trunk and flip onto the palm's top. Thankfully, this particular palm was made of better stuff than its brethren.

"_DORRYYYY!_"

"_BROGYYYY!_"

_BOOM!_

Ulquiorra gritted his teeth. There had been voices, he was certain of it, right in the smack-dab center of the figurative storm. And where there were voices, there were people, people who most likely knew the position of this kami-forsaken isle. The Arrancar cracked his knuckles. He just needed to get near them.

His emerald, slit eyes dilated as he blasted forward, shattering the poor palm's trunk in the process. Flying for several meters, he touched down on another tree before leaping once more, decimating that plant as well.

_BOOM!_

_ BOOM!_

_ BOOM!_

The shock-waves were increasing in frequency. Hopefully, whoever had been there would still be breathing.

_CRASH!_

The Espada annihilated yet another piece of vegetation.

_BOOM!_

"_I __**WILL**__ WIN, DORRY!_"

"_NOT A CHANCE!_"

_BOOM!_

Raising an eyebrow, Ulquiorra snorted. _Trash._ Another tree fell to his foot.

_BOOM!_

The force was increasing at a steady rate now. The pale Arrancar's lips quirked slightly. He was getting closer. His foot touched down on a deciduous tree—

_BOOM!_

Gasping, he clutched his chest as the wave's sheer force crashed through his body, sending chills up his spine and banging his abnormally sharp teeth against each other. However, in his surprise, the moment to jump had passed. And so, Ulquiorra found himself about to collide with the ground. He hissed, reaching forward and bending his elbows, effectively dispersing the force throughout his body, a far more favorable outcome when compared to the possibility of a sprained wrist. With his reiatsu so significantly diminished, he had no desire to test his healing factor. After all, he _was_ reduced to the level of a mere fraccion.

*Cue disgusted grimace.*

The impact was not as jolting as he had expected, seeing as he landed in a puddle of mud. Picking himself out of the revolting mush, the Espada growled. Whatever was making those freakin' shock-waves was going to _pay._ He glanced down at his previously pristinely white outfit (the battle marks had disappeared for some reason. . . .not that he was complaining.) Slimy brown streaked its entirety, punctured by little twigs and the rare beetle. However, those imperfections had _nothing_ on the huge, brown sludge mark splattered across his chest.

_Maldito._

His jaw ground together.

"_Bala!_"

He watched with satisfaction as a row of trees were annihilated. Yes, it was true that he was weaker than before, but he _was_ far stronger than anything the Human World had to throw at him.

Ulquiorra marched forward, not bothering to leap into the trees. He was close enough that speed was not a particularly important issue. At each shock-wave, the Espada dug his feet firmly into the muddy ground, pausing till the next opportunity for movement showed itself.

The march was fairly uneventful, excusing the couple of falling trees and the frequent earthquakes. However, a "fairly uneventful march" did not cover the _destination_ of the march. Rounding what he recalled to be a _Durian _tree, the Arrancar's mouth fell open in shock (well, not exactly "fell open". . . .more like slightly parted. . . .barely parted. . . .not really parted at all. . . .)

Yammy had _siblings!_

Two enormous humanoids stood in the clearing, teeth gnashing violently, each struggling against the other as their weapons clashed together. Their skin was dark and tanned, stretched taut over their generous frames.

The Arrancar's brow puckered slightly. It was anatomically impossible for a human to reach such a colossal size, and, as far as he knew, no other life-forms existed on Earth that fit the description of the two in front of him. Neither of the beings gave off reiatsu, derailing the idea of a spiritual creature. Of course, they could be concealing their Reiatsu, but, even then, they would still emit latent energy.

He cracked his neck.

_How puzzling._

"What are you?" It was not a question phrased to himself.

Ulquiorra waited impatiently for the answer.

"_**Ya' gained weight, Brogy!**_"

"_**Like you haven't?**_"

The Espada's eye twitched. _There ignoring me._

"_**GEGYAGYAGYAGYA. . . . !**_"

"_**GEBABABABABABA. . . . !**_"

_Trash._

He raised his left hand.

"_Bala._"

_BOOM!_

"_**NANI!**_"

The two monstrosities reeled backwards as the trees between them exploded in a flurry of splinters.

"_**Wha' the—**_**DORRY!**"

One of the giants gripped the other by his cloak.

"_**Wha' d'you do!**_"

The one called 'Dorry' growled angrily, slapping the other's hands off him. "_**That wasn't me! I wouldn't eve' be so under-handed, ne, Brogy!**_"

'Brogy' hissed. "_**Well, i' sure a' hell wasn't me!**_"

"_**And I'm supposed t' believe ya'?**_"

"_**Hai! It's th' truth!**_"

"I _asked_, **what are you.**"

The two beings whirled around with eyes wide and teeth bared, ready to beat back the intruder. What they did _not _expect to see was a scrawny-looking teenage boy wearing half a helmet and a mud-stained uniform.

"_**N—Nani?**_"

Ulquiorra snorted derisively. _To not even be able to process a simple question. . . .pathetic._ "What are you?"

The pair appeared momentarily taken back. "_**Giants, o' course!**_" Brogy replied, gesturing abstractly. "_**Wha' else?**_"

The Arrancar could think of a number of "what else's" seeing as Giants _didn't exist._ "That is impossible."

"_**Hm?**_" Dorry grunted. "_**How d'you figure, kid? Ya' blind?**_"

The "kid's" eyes narrowed. "Neither the Shinigami nor the Arrancar have discovered such a being in the World of the Living. Therefore, it does not exist."

The pair crossed their arms as they stared down at the comparatively tiny intruder. "_**Huh? What'ya talkin' 'bout, kid?**_" Brogy inquired, eyebrows knitting together.

Sighing, Ulquiorra glanced back up at the giant attempting to ignore the huge gap in their heights. "You would not understand."

"_**Well,**_" Dorry rumbled, "_**You're one t' talk, believin' in Death Gods and—what was th' other thing?—such. Those things don' exist, ya' know, yet ya' deny proof o' livin' Giants in front o' ya'? GEGYAGYAGYAGYA!**_"

The smaller being's knuckles cracked. "I have ascertained the identities of both the aforementioned races . Your race of _Giants_ however, is of questionable origin, meaning that until your race has been proven, it does not exist."

Brogy clapped his hands together, face towards the sky as he shook with laughter. "_**GEBABABABABA!**_" He clutched his stomach. "_**Ya'r new t' the Gran' Line, ain't ya', kid!**_"

The Espada cocked his head slightly. "Grand Line?"

Dorry nodded, slapping his hands on his knees. "_**Hai! Where else wou' we be?**_"

_What is this Trash speaking of?_ "I am unaware of such a place."

The pair's laughter cut off abruptly. "_**NANI?**_"

"I _said_," ominously, Ulquiorra's hand twitched towards his Zanpakutō, "I am un—"

"_**Ne, ne. Heard wha' ya' said, kid.**_" Dorry waved his hand dismissively, bringing the Arrancar's hand ever closer to his most trustworthy katana.

Brogy's brow knit together. "_**But how'd ya' get **_**in**_** the Gran' Line if ya' don't even know wha' it is?**_"

"I was—" Ulquiorra paused. _It does not matter what they know, seeing as they will die soon._ "—forced here during a battle with an enemy of mine."

"_**Hm.**_" Dorry stroked his beard. "_**Must've been a pretty stron' enemy.**_"

Emerald eyes flashed. "He was trash."

Dorry raised an eyebrow, cheer gone. "_**Sou ka. . . .but even so, have ya' been livin' under a rock? The Gran' Line's rathe' infamous.**_"

Brogy nodded in agreement. "_**It's th' most dangerous of th' Blue**__**, afte' all.**_"

_Blue?_ "I am unfamiliar with that term."

"_**Nandato? Wha' term?**_"

" '_Blue_.' "

Both Giants' muscles tensed, but Dorry was the first to reply. "_**Where d'ya say ya' were from?**_"

Ulquiorra thought quickly. It was unlikely that they would know of Karakura Town, whether they were familiar with the map or not. Certainly not _Hueco Mundo_ or _Los Noches._ "Japan."

"_**Neve' heard o' it.**_"

The Espada sighed. "It is a country approximately seven-hundred-and-fifty miles off the coast of the Asian continent."

"_**. . . .what'cha talkin' 'bout, kid?**_"

His eyes widened slightly. "Approximately seven-hundred-and-fifty miles off the coast of Asia. Part of the Eurasian Continent—"

"_**Whoa, kid.**_" Brogy plopped down on the ground, Dorry following seconds later. Apparently, Ulquiorra wasn't a _threat._ "_**What's this 'Ajea' thing? Some island in one of the Cardinal Blues?**_"

The Espada cocked his head. "_Cardinal Blues?_"

"_**Hai. Hai.**_" Dorry dipped his head. "_**Ya' know! North, South, East, West?**_"

"I am unfamiliar with those terms."

"_**Th' Four**_** Blue!**_** The major seas of th' world, excludin' th' Gran' Line!**_"

Shrugging slightly, Ulquiorra's brow creased. "The four oceans of the world are the Indian, Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic. It is true that there is a proposed fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, but that is still specula—"

"_**Kid!**_"

The Arrancar started from his musings. _How _dare_ he interrupt me! _"My _name_ is Ulquiorra."

"_**Hai, Uhl-qwi-orra. I'm Brogy an' he—**_"

"I know."

"_**Hn? Ah—okay then. But those seas, and the continen' thing, ya' just mentioned. They don' exist.**_"

A growl escaped the pale man's lips. "Of course they exist. You can find it on any map."

"_**Not las' time I checked, but tha' was almos' a hundred years 'go. O' course, I don' think the world could gain a continen' in that period o' time.**_"

"What do you mean?" _This isn't good._

"_**Wha' he means is tha' there's only one continen' and that's th' Red Line. Some place called 'Ajea' ain't gonna pop up magically**_," Dorry cut in.

"And the hundred years? No human can naturally survive that long. Therefore, you must be lying." Mentally, Ulquiorra cursed himself. Emotion was weakness, and he was letting himself get flustered by a pair of Trash. _Pathetic._

"_**GEBABABABABABA! We tol' ya'. We're Giants!**_"

"_**GYEGYAGYAGYAGYA!**_"

_Trash._

Ulquiorra slowly, and ominously, removed his left hand from his pocket, raising it to point at the the so-called 'Giants.' _Souls such as they have no right here._ "_Ce—_"

_BOOM!_

"_GAH!_" Emerald eyes widened exponentially as the Espada registered the elbow headed directly for his stomach. Instantly, he Sonido-ed to the left. However, the other Giant's right hook was recognized a second too late. Ulquiorra gasped as it grazed the edge of his stomach, tearing away the fabric. In surprise, he glanced down at his new injury, where a ring of purple was already beginning to form. "Keh!" he spat venomously. _So weak._

"_**Kid!**_"

The Arrancar's furious gaze shot up to meet the Giant's.

Dorry and Brogy were standing side-to-side, their weapons unsheathed and eyes hard. Dorry spoke first. "_**I don't care if ya'r confused or irritated or whateve', but you do **_**not **_**try to attack us like that, or we'll put you down in a second.**_"

Ulquiorra snorted. _If I'd been more prepared, the results would be different, trash._

"_**Now,**_" Brogy continued. "_**We won't kill ya' at this moment. Not many've landed her' lately an' we could use th' company. Understand? Go ge' yourself togethe', kid.**_"

Teeth grinding together, the Espada contemplated his options. He was obviously far weaker than normal and not adjusted to his new conditions yet. That reality was made worse by the fact that he was in the home territory of his two enemies. However, if he were to enter his Resurrectión form, the battle would be his, no question. No mortal, the size of a mountain or not, could withstand his sheer reiatsu for very long.

But could he even use Resurrectión? It was questionable, seeing as his energy reserves were so depleted.

He made a decision.

Eyes narrowing, the Arrancar Sonido-ed away.

~/~/~/~

"_I don't care if ya'r confused or irritated or whateve', but you do _not_ try to attack us like that, or we'll put you down in a second."_

A growl escaped Ulquiorra's lips as he reclined against the trunk of a _Cocos Nucifera_, otherwise known as a Coconut Palm.

The trash thought they were powerful enough to contain him? Ridiculous!

However—

He tapped his fingers on the ground.

—the source of information they presented was too great to pass up. _It is obvious that this is not the World of the Living I know of, meaning that either time has shifted somehow, or this is a new dimension altogether, the latter being the more probable. The map of the world seems to have changed entirely, an impossibility unless through millennia of continental shift. Yet, the beings I came in contact with had no advanced technology in the slightest. If anything, they were even more primitive than Kurosaki Ichigo. _

Even in his thoughts, the Espada spat the name with venom.

_Leaving the alternate dimension._

Ulquiorra sighed testily, watching the leaves above him wave in the breeze.

_And without my Garganta—_

Slit, green eyes flashed

_—I am basically stranded._

~/~/~/~

**Okay, peoples. Just thought I'd go over the basics of this story and any instances some people might interpret as inconsistencies. **

**_Uno: _Ulquiorra might seem a little overemotional, but remember, this is _after_ his interaction with Orihime so he's gained some depth. Also, he's just very annoyed. He's been dumped on some island in the middle of nowhere for a reason he cannot figure out and has lost a large portion of his abilities. Therefore, his emotions are much more latent than usual. In addition, this story often views Ulquiorra from his own mind. So, while he may seem overemotional to a reader, he is actually keeping up a cold facade to other characters in the story.**

_**Dos:**_** One of the most important aspects of this story is Ulquiorra's attempts to find out how he became stranded in the One Piece World, and how he can get back to his own. While the circumstances of his trip from Hueco Mundo to the island of Little Garden might seem ambiguous now, they will clear up as the story progresses.**

_**Tres:**_** Ulquiorra cannot use Garganta to get home because the One Piece world is not linked to the other three known dimensions: Hueco Mundo, the Seretei, and the World of ****the Living. (Contrary to what Ulquiorra currently believes, Ichigo did not bind his Garganta ability.) The three worlds mentioned are all linked together due to similar Laws of Physics and common energies (in this case Reiatsu is the bond among them). One Piece, on the other hand, is governed by other energies (Haki, Devil Fruits, etc.) Garganta is a link between specifically between Hueco Mundo and the worlds linked to it. Think of it this way, Hueco Mundo, the Seretei, and the Living World are the three points of a triangle. Each point can be connected to other points (such as Hueco Mundo to the One Piece World), but they will always be part of their strongest bond, the triangle. (If you don't understand, message me and I'll explain it to you.)**

_**Cuatro:**_** There is no latent Reiatsu in the One Piece world because it is governed by energies different from those in ****_Bleach,_ for instance: Haki.**

_**Cinco: **_**I am not going to reveal how or why Ulquiorra's energy dropped so much at this point in time, but it ****_will_ be explained through the story. Ulquiorra is currently developing a theory on this phenomenon, but he needs more information to ascertain it.**

_**Seis: **_** Yes, Ulquiorra landed on Little Garden, an island in the Grand Line.**

_**Siete: **_**Ulquiorra does and will speak Spanish throughout the story. Several Spanish terms will also be used, so if you see a word that is not English or Japanese, that's what it is. One Piece (in this story) knows only Japanese, meaning that whenever Ulquiorra reverts to his native language, no one knows what he is saying.**

_**Ocho: **_** Yes, I know that Dorry and Brogy don't have such a pronounced dialect, but they didn't sound right speaking normally, so I gave them one in order to make them seem more real.**

_**Nueve: **_** At the end of the chapter, Ulquiorra questions his ability to use Resurrectión due to the fact that his Reiatsu has dropped so significantly. He is not even able to use his hovering ability, making it extremely ambiguous as to his current capabilities.**

_**Diez: **_** Yes, Ulquiorra will get off of Little Garden and become a pirate with his own pirate crew, but he will not due so purposefully. More so, a set of actions and consequences will cause him to become a pirate in the eyes of others.**


	2. The Red Heron

**Title: The Emerald Curtain**

**Author: KobaltWolf**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Minor language and violence**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own _One Piece_ or _Naruto. _ They are the property of their respective owners. However, I do own any OCs that might appear**

**Summary: After his fight with Ichigo, Ulquiorra is dumped in the world of One Piece. Now he's been mistaken for a pirate by Marines, while Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander seeks vengeance against him. Can Ulquiorra find a way home, or will he die trying?**

**Hello, peoples! Sorry this took so long, but it was a relatively long chapter, the longest I've ever written actually. And I'd just like to make it clear that this story is set BEFORE the actual _One Piece_ storyline. Ulquiorra landed on Little Garden about 3 years before the plot line, so at the beginning of this chapter, nearly a year has passed, making it 2 years before the start of _One Piece._**

_** ~/~/~/~**_

** 11 months, 23 days, 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 09 seconds After Arrival on Kami- forsaken, Freakin' Prehistoric Jungle:**

_Uno!_

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

_Dos!_

He braced his abdominal muscles.

_Tres!_

A twig snapped.

_Cuatro!_

The tree fell.

_Cinco!_

He breathed.

_Seis!_

Air split.

_Siete!_

He lunged forward.

_Ocho!_

The sword sheath flashed above his head.

_Nueve!_

The rock split down the center.

Ulquiorra placed the sheathed sword back into his belt, and smirked ever so slightly. He'd once more achieved the ability to slice a rock with only a sheathed sword, after only—he frowned—nearly a year. The Espada massaged his temples. Why was this training taking so long? He'd learned it before in Hueco Mundo over a much shorter length of time, yet after eleven months he'd barely increased his reiatsu to. . . .39.562% of his former power. Not even a five percent increase! _Of course,_ he reasoned, _there is little sense of time in Los Noches, meaning that I could have spent years perfecting a single action while believing it to only be a month._

Yes.

He nodded to himself.

He'd go with that.

_BOOM!_

The Arrancar glanced to the northwest as a shockwave ripped through the island. His eye twitched. Couldn't those morons hold off on their hourly battles? Daily was acceptable, but every hour? Ridiculous. Since his arrival, they'd already accumulated approximately 8,525 battles. Of which, he'd had to endure every _single_ one. The pair had shared the reason for their hourly battles about five months ago during one of the three-man parties the two Giants insisted on him attending.

_"__**OI, ULQIORRA!**__" _

_ The mentioned gasped as Dorry pounded him on the back. "_What,_ do you want." He practically spat the words._

_ The Giant ignored him as he continued. "__**Don' space ou' on us, kid! Th' party's jus' gettin' started!**__"_

_ Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow as he clenched his fists. "There are only three (questionably) sentient beings on this island. The _'party'_ cannot get much bigger."_

_ "__**Aw!**__" Brogy slapped his hands on his knees. "__**Don' b' such a stick in th' mud, kid!**__"_

_ "I am not a kid."_

_ "__**T' us ya' are! GEBABABABABA!**__"_

_ "__**GYEGYAGYAGYAGYA!**__"_

_ Trash._

_ BROOSHH!_

_ "__**Ne, ne, it's been an hour 'lready?**__"_

_ Gracias a dios—_

_**BOOM!**_

_ —maldita sean._

_ The two giants stood in the clearing, weapons clashed. Then Dorry lunged._

_ Ulquiorra observed calmly as the beings raged before him, knocking over tree after tree and rocking the island with earthquakes. Twelve minutes and 15.34765 seconds later, the pair plopped down on either side of him once more, their hostility forgotten._

_ He sighed. "Why must you fight on every volcanic eruption? It is extremely irritating." The Espada wasn't a fool. He'd noticed that pattern after two days._

_ The pair glanced at each other over the Arrancar's head. "We didn' tell ya'?"_

_ "No. You did not."_

_ "Well, ya' see," Brogy made an abstract gesture with his hands. "A long time 'go, me an' Dorry landed on this islan'—"_

_ "Proceed to the point."_

_ The giant's shoulders slumped, but both had realized long ago that it was pointless to argue with something that wouldn't give. "There's a contest an' th' hourly volcano eruptions are th' startin' signal."_

_ "Hn."_

However, even though Ulquiorra understood why the battles occurred, they were still infinitely infuriating. The Arrancar could not find rest even between the mini wars. Life on the island known as _Little Garden_ had been eventful to say in the least. One of the most notable dates had been 9 days, 7 hours, 34 minutes, and 47 seconds into his stay.

_I am going to murder them._

_ Ulquiorra was twitching. Again._

_ The two idiots were dancing around the bonfire they had created, arm in arm, each swigging coconut milk and belting out pirate drinking songs. "__**. . . .yes, sh'was quite pretty! I sat down wit'her thar, and bough'a quart o'rum. YO'HOOO! Bu' I'm a **_**pirate**_**, lady lass. . . .**__" _

_ It droned on. Such __**idiocy.**_

_ Fidgeting with his uniform's collar, the Espada sighed. The annoyances were only enhanced by the blistering heat wafting from the ten foot high flames towering before him. Back in Hueco Mundo, neither heat nor cold bothered him, due merely to him being composed of reiatsu particles (he was technically dead after all). However, it seemed that that rule did not hold true in this __**Grand Line.**__ He had suffered through the latent humidity of everyday Little Garden, but this was _unbearable.

_ His finger lilted towards the jacket's seam._

_ He could not be expected to stand this! It was absolutely ridiculous. _

_ With that thought in mind, Ulquiorra began to unfasten the top of his uniform, and in short time, gratefully shrugged it off._

_ "__**. . . .an' cannot b'expected, t'stay 'til the morn'! YO'HOOO! 'Cuz I'm a **_**pirate**_**, lady l—**__" _

_ The Arrancar blinked at abrupt cut-off—not that he wasn't grateful for it—but it was certainly not included in the song. Glancing up, his eyes widened minutely._

_ Dorry and Brogy stood frozen, eyes the size of saucers and jaws dropping down 3.29 yards, as they stared at him, their color abruptly vanishing. "__**HE'S DEAD!**__" Ulquiorra started as Brogy's wail reverberated through his skeletal structure.__** "OH, KAMI, HE'S **_**DEAD**_**! WHA'RE WE GONNA DO?**__"_

_ The small humanoid didn't have time to flee before he found himself hanging mid-air like a rag-doll by the leg of his (admittedly poofy) pants. "__EL ESTUPIDIO BASTARDOS!__ I AM NOT _DEAD_!" he screamed as Dorry waved him wildly in the air._

_ His exclamation only made things worse._

_ "__**GYYYAAAAHHHHH! **__**GHOOOOST!**__"_

_ Ulquiorra choked on his tongue._

_ "__**AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!**__"_

_ Reeling backwards, Dorry chucked the so-called 'ghost' with a shout, catapulting the Arrancar in to the sky. "__VOY A _MATARTE_!__"_

_ Things went downhill from there, including Ulquiorra trying to slash off Brogy's head and Dorry attempting to "banish th' baneful spiri' tryin' t'mock o' dear d'parted f'iend." (He accidentally left out the 'r' in 'friend'.)_

_ ~/~/~/~_

_ "**Sumimasen.**" _

_ Ulquiorra clenched his jaw._

_ In front of him, Dorry and Brogy knelt, skin turning purple and green as their bruises swelled, looking, for all intensive purposed, like a pair of kicked puppies. The fire was long-since extinguished, probably after Dorry fell (was punched) onto it, but the dying embers still hissed angrily._

_ He angled his head upward. "Keh."_

_ "**Bu' ya' can't blame us!**" Brogy protested. "**Ya' have a freakin' **_**hole**_** thra'r chest!**"_

_ Snorting, the Arrancar glared at him. "That is normal."_

_ "**NO, IT'S **_**NOT**_**!**"_

_ "Hn."_

~/~/~/~

It wasn't as if Ulquiorra had told them of his past. No mortal had any business in hearing that. The cover story? It was a severe scar he had received in a battle with a man with hair the color of a fiery sunset (more like a clementine. . . .) He didn't expect them to believe it, maybe he was hoping they wouldn't, but the gullible mountains ate it up. Suddenly, he was the "revered warrior o' th'holey scar." Shaking his head slightly at their idiocy, the Espada contemplated whether they were more akin to the island's dinosaurs than he'd anticipated. After all, they both had brains the size of peanuts.

_BOOM!_

He blinked, as close as he could come to showing annoyance, and turned away from the sound. Shockwaves and shouting were not what he desired. The coastline would be a much more likely location for his daily search for ships. He strolled forward in no great hurry, for there would be no consequences if he were to arrive at a point later than another. In fact, nothing on this island had consequences. It was rather boring. Dorry and Brogy affirmed that pirate ships landed on Little Garden every few months, but it had been nearly a year and none had shown themselves yet.

He had employed the time well though.

Each day consisted of seven hours of sleep, three meals (20 minutes each), eight straight hours of training, two hours of meditation, one hour of scanning the horizon for ships, and five hours for gathering information from the two giants. When he had still been in Hueco Mundo, he had required neither food nor rest, having been able to acquire the nutrients and strength he required from latent reiatsu. However, in this new world, it seemed that his physiology had become more similar to a. . . .a. . . ._gigai._ It was the closest existing term to the idea he wished to express.

With this training regimen, he had not only managed to increase his reiatsu capacity, but also regain some degree of his hovering ability, being able to 'fly' for short amounts of time. Yet, he gripped Murciélago tightly, Resurrectión was still beyond his ability. Two months, 23 days, 17 hours, 46 minutes, and 3 seconds into his marooning, he had attempted to release, only to incinerate a quarter of the island, presumably due to his now uncontrolled reiatsu. He hadn't attempted since.

The Arrancar emerged on a rocky bluff facing eastward, the direction any pirate ship traveling to Little Garden would be most easily spotted, and calmly sat down in the lotus position. The day would be like any other: he would waste an hour staring at an empty ocean and then return inland to listen to Dorry and Brogy's lessons on the geography, history, and people of the world.

The sea was clear that day, meaning increased Sea King sightings. The monsters would pop up every now and again, swallowing some unfortunate cetacean or other creature, and then dive back down into the depths of the ocean without so much as a pause. In some ways, they reminded him of Hollows, not caring what was hurt in their quest to soothe their constant hunger. But they were much larger than the average hollow, the smallest of them having the body mass of Gillians.

Speaking of the sea monsters, there was one now, approximately halfway between him and the horizon. It was a small one. Very small. And seemed to be floating. Possibly dead? That seemed unlikely. A dead Sea King would be swarmed almost immediately by sharks, gulls, and other carnivorous or omnivorous scavengers.

His emerald eyes narrowed.

So what was it? It was quickly drawing near, leaving a thin white trail behind it. Curious, he made use of the enhanced, almost hawk-like vision that all Arrancar possessed, and slowly, his lips quirked upwards in his version of a grin.

A ship, a _pirate_ ship, was about to land on Little Garden.

~/~/~/~

"Congratulations, boys!" Rori Miras, Captain of the Feather Hat Pirates, howled, waving his red-feathered, three-tiered cap in the air. "We made it passed _Cactus Island!_"

The thirty-something crew roared its approval, pounding their feet on the deck.

Rori grinned. "The next island's already been spotted. Looks like a summer type, so prepare for sun-bathing and feasts!" He punched the air as the ship rocked with cries of enthusiasm.

Turning back to the helm, the Captain inhaled deeply. They had successfully navigated Whiskey Peak, though barely. Many good men had fallen, but they were now on their way! He could practically smell the adventure.

~/~/~/~

We will pause the story now in order to paint a picture for you, the reader, of Rori Miras. Hailing from the West Blue, he was rather new to the pirate lifestyle, though he was no stranger to life, having recently celebrated his 41st birthday. But even being a rookie pirate, he had already accumulated a generous 29,000,000 belí bounty, no small feat. After obtaining a crew of strong, hard-working men, he had set out to the infamous Grand Line, ready for adventure, or at least he thought he was. At the first island of his chosen route, Cactus Island, he lost nearly a third of his crew, and he himself narrowly escaped with his life. Many more harships were thrown his way as well. Sea Kings were numerous in the Grand Line, as were their attacks. He had managed to vanquish all that targeted his ship, the _Red Heron_, with his signature feather throwing daggers, but the patches on the poor vessel were already becoming layered.

Rori himself was not particularly slim, and his muscular structure wasn't very pronounced. He regularly changed his outfit, the only constant being a long, dark scarf around his neck. His scruffy red hair and beard added to the picture of one who would pass for a wild, yet caring, father, not a fearsome pirate. But he did care for his crew. They were his body and soul. Without them, he couldn't, just _couldn't_, exist. And if they were injured or killed, it'd would take a heck of a lot for him to forgive their assailant. But he, like everyone else, _did_ have a price. An honest man like him couldn't deny that.

His nickname "Feather Hat" was derived from his signature weapons, an array of thin throwing knives covered with tiny, flexible spikes, giving them the appearance of feathers. When they came into contact with a target, not only did they slice, they _tore_, ripping at the opponent's flesh. He had become very adept with these weapons, having also developed a high-level sniping ability.

But we really should get back to the story.

~/~/~/~

"Drop the anchor!" Miras ordered, an excited smile on his face. Who knew what this island held! It looked to be full of _adventure._

The _Red Heron_ shook slightly as the crew complied, lowering the iron anchor to the bottom of the small inlet.

"Oi, Captain!"

Rori glanced down.

"Permission to get off this boat?"

The Captain chuckled lightly. "'Course! And _I'm_ coming with you." Displaying agility not of his age, the red-haired man leaped off the railing, landing easily on the grassy shoreline. His crew followed with a merry clatter. "Now, men! First things first. We gotta find food, some fresh water—"

"Pirate."

"_Nani?_" 'Feather Hat' whirled around on the balls of his feet, brows creased as he shot a feather from his sleeve at the place the intruder should have been, judging from the volume and trajectory of his voice.

_CRACK!_

The intruder stood in the shadows, leaning against a tree, and didn't even flinch as the strange-looking knife embedded itself mere millimeters from his. . . ._helmet?_ Without even a pause, he continued as if he had not just been attacked. "I require your ship."

Rori stood speechless for a moment before beginning to chuckle amiably. "You. . . ." He trailed off as the stranger emerged from the shade, and his eyes widened.

He had a _hole_. Through his _chest._ "Kami—"

"I have no desire to wait for you to pray to your deity," the man—no—_teenager _stated emotionessly, hands in the pockets of his pants, chest bare. "You will surrender your vessel now."

_Get a hold of yourself, Feather Hat!_ Rori tensed his muscles. This kid was no ordinary kid if that strange helmet. . . .and. . . .and. . . ._hole_ were anything to go by, not to mention the strange, black tear-stains. "And why would I do that?"

"Because," the black-haired teen cracked his knuckles ominously. "If you do not comply, I will slaughter you."

He spoke it with such conviction, that the Captain was inclined to believe it. _No!_ He clenched his feather daggers. He was _Feather Hat. _He had a 29,000,000 belí for Kami's sake! This _kid_ was marooned on a jungle island with, as far as he could tell, no backup. And that hole had to hurt. There was no _way_ he could lose. And so, Rori Miras, Captain of the Feather Hat Pirates, replied with equal conviction, "Go to hell."

~/~/~/~

Ulquiorra Cifer casually flicked the red-haired man's blood from his hand as he strolled over the victims of the mini-massacre. The battle had been short and pointless. There had been no contest and, consequently, no hope for the arrogant man. Pausing as he came to the pirate captain's prone body, he bent down, plucking the man's scarf from his neck and wrapping it around his own, shielding his Hollow hole from prying eyes.

Standing back up to his full height, he looked at the ship in detail for the first time. One glance told him that it was in need of solid repair, but he'd take what he could get. Besides, he'd fix it at the first given opportunity.

The Espada stepped into air, materializing a reiatsu platform from his own energy in order to keep himself aflight, and calmly sauntered onto his new ship. Composed of oak and cedar, it was a rather large in his opinion, but he was no sailor. In fact, his knowledge of sea-going vessels was nearly non-existent. And this fact brings us to a hiccup in Ulquiorra's plan: he had absolutely no idea how to sail a ship.

Now, he'd thought of this problem before, but, since a ship was his only way out, he had decided to 'cross that bridge when he came to it' as humans said.

However, Cifer's lips twitched upwards in satisfaction, it seemed he wouldn't have to worry about that.

"HYYYYAAAH!"

A streak of silver flashed in his peripheral vision

_Why isn't he dodging?_

Ulquiorra blinked as he felt steel collide with his Hierro. No matter though.

_Nandato—_

_ CRAAACK!_

The katana (for that was what it was, he concluded) splintered with a shrieking sound, unable to bear the stress of being banged upon something harder than steel, and the offender gasped audibly. Without even turning around, the Arrancar's hand shot out, gripping him by the neck and lifting him in the air, bringing him around to come face-to-face.

The Espada subtly raised an eyebrow.

This _boy_ was the one who challenged him?

He hung, struggling with Ulquiorra's iron grasp while simultaneously glaring venomously. The boy was obviously still enduring puberty, a suffering stage of the human male he had been informed of by Szayel, but had gained lean muscle through what the Arrancar presumed to be years of manual labor. He was probably a cabin boy of some sort, dressing in a loose, white linen shirt and dirty brown breeches, both stained beyond repair, with his stringy, mouse-colored hair tied back in a low ponytail. All-in-all, he looked rather nondescript, though his death glare was rather impressive. It reminded him of Kurosaki.

The boy chocked as his captor's grip tightened.

Emerald eyes flashed. He could not afford to lose his ticket of this island. With a flick of his wrist, Ulquiorra tossed the boy to the ground, returning his hands to his pockets.

The younger of the pair clutched his throat as he coughed violently, trying to expel the crushed and cloistered feeling in his esophagus, not to mention the bile. The man above him waited patiently until the boy's spasms diminished to speak.

"You will assist me in piloting this vessel."

The teen growled, though it came out more as a strangled gurgle. "L—like hell I will." He cursed his stuttering voice as he forced himself to his knees.

The man blinked. "Refusal is not an option."

_Teme._ Furious but mute, he stared up at his attacker.

"Now, assist me." It wasn't a request. The elder turned on his heels, stalking towards the helm. In a flash of strength, the boy shot forward, arms stretched out, ready to topple the murderer of his crew—only to be knocked back down by the killer's foot, not even a sideways glance thrown his way.

"Continued resistance is futile."

From his position of on the floor, the boy felt bile rise in his mouth. This bastard. This damn _bastard_ just came in and killed his crew, his _family_, and then tells him that if he doesn't help—well, that he _will_ help. No matter what _he_ wants.

"Assist me."

The boy made no move to help.

"_Assist me._"

Just a glare.

Ulquiorra's eyes sparked with emotion. His hand shot out, hoisting the boy to his feet. "You will assist me, or you will die," he spat, or as close to spitting as he could come.

Silence.

The Espada's patience had reached its limit. "_Bala._"

_BOOM!_

"NO!" the boy barked, lunging away from the elder's grip as the _Red Heron_'s railing was smashed and ripped apart by the red energy.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly. _He cares for the vessel?_ Unconsciously, his lips twitched upwards. There was no possible scenario where he would willingly stayed on this horrific island. If threatening to destroy that which the boy cared for achieved his goal, so be it. "Continued refusal will result in the destruction of both you and this ship."

The younger's lips parted as he stared, horrified at the Arrancar. "You would harm the _ship? _ It's obviously that it's what you want—"

"Without the proper skills to sail it, this vessel is unusable, and therefore obsolete. Destroying it would make no difference."

His lids fluttered in disbelief. "But the ship has done nothing! Don't treat it like some thing to be _disposed of!_"

"But that is what it is." This was pointless.

"No!" The boy gestured some abstract form in the air. "It's more than—"

Ulquiorra had closed his eyes, raising his hand to point towards the mast. "_B—_"

"_MATTE!_"

He lazily slid open his left lid, cat-like pupils dilated.

The boy's head and shoulders hung low, his eyes hidden from sight. "I'll help you, teme-_sama._"

~/~/~/~

The boy glanced out of the corner of his eye at his captor. The man was reclining against the wall of the cabin, the _Captain's_ cabin, his striking emerald eyes thankfully closed. He didn't like that stare. It was so—so—there was just no _substance._ It was like he was there yet wasn't, but it was cruel all the same, too. Cruel in the way that it tortured you to look at, so similar in appearance to your own, but lacking so much. The boy couldn't _stand it!_

He tightened his grip on the _Red_ _Heron_'s ship-wheel. _Don't worry, Heron. I'll get us out of this. And we'll go back and bury them. All of them. . ._ . His face set.

He didn't know that name of his captor. He had many names for him, but none of them were the man's given. And he doubted whether the stranger would appreciate any of the others. Whoever the man was, he was very odd, almost alien, what with those tear-stains and freaky pupils.

_He must've eaten a Devil Fruit._

The boy had heard of them. Never seen one though. Back in the West Blue, such things were mere fiction. But what he'd seen in the Grand Line had proven their existence beyond doubt. _Just two islands and I'm already permanently scarred._ He smirked dryly.

_Speaking of islands. . . ._

The boy turned towards his captor (or kidnapper, whichever you prefer), mouth set in a hard line. "Oi, teme-_sama._ Where does the log pose point?"

". . . .the what?"

~/~/~/~

**Gracias a dios – thank god**

**Maldita sean – damn them**

**El Estupidio Bastardos – . . . .do I really need to translate that?**

**Voy a Matarte – I'll kill you**

**Sumimasen – sorry**

**Teme-_sama_ – Lord Fool/Bastard**

**Comments? Ideas? Please review people! And, as in last chapter, here's some extra snippets of information to clear up some points in the story.**

_**Uno:**_** Again, Ulquiorra is relatively emotional during this chapter, especially during ****flashbacks. This is simply due to having become accustomed to the two Giants and having gained some emotion due to his experiences with Ichigo and Orihime.**

_**Dos: ** _**Like Ulquiorra concluded, he seems to be progressing slowly because he is not accustomed to the human passage of time.**

_**Tres: **_** He lacks his Resurrectió****n because I am trying to keep him from becoming super-powered. If a character becomes too invincible, the storyline disintegrates. Yes, he will eventually gain back most to all of his powers, but it will take a long time. **

_**Cuatro:**_** Yes, Rori Miras is an OC. He will not make any more appearances other than possibly during flashbacks, but his presence will not disappear. The boy (not giving you his name yet) will continue to honor him and try to avenge him regularly. Ulquiorra's new scarf and the **_**Red Heron**_** itself will also be a reminder of his presence. **

_**Cinco: **_**The boy is actually the first member of Ulquiorra's crew, though he is obviously unwilling. Ulquiorra's methods to gain his assistance may seem cruel and heartless, but the Ulquiorra **_**is**_** very heartless at this point. Orihime has affected him to a great degree, but it will take a long time for the Espada to truly understand the effects of his actions and even longer for him to change them.**

_**Seis: **_**Like Ulquiorra mentioned, his physiology has changed dramatically. It is more like he is in a Gigai than actually being composed of Reiatsu. This means that all people can see him, regardless of lack of spiritual pressure.**

_**Siete: **_** The explosion caused by Ulquiorra's attempt to release was caused by his uncontrolled reiatsu, like he theorized.**

_**Ocho: **_** Dorry and Brogy could both probably sail a ship, they were pirate captains after all, but they would be unable to board the **_**Red Heron**_** because of their size. This makes them a very unlikely candidate for sailors on the ship, or even simply Ulquiorra's tutors.**

_**Nueve: **_** Yes, Ulqui has no idea what a Log Pose is, and the boy doesn't have one because the Captain kept it with him at all times. So, basically, they're lost. :P  
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**Diez: Ulquiorra will eventually run into Luffy and the crew, but it will take a long time. He'll meet Portgas D. Ace far before his little brother.**


	3. The Harbingers of Paranoia

**Title: The Emerald Curtain**

**Author: KobaltWolf**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Minor language and violence**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own _One Piece_ or _Naruto. _ They are the property of their respective owners. However, I do own any OCs that might appear**

**Summary: After his fight with Ichigo, Ulquiorra is dumped in the world of One Piece. Now he's been mistaken for a pirate by Marines, while Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander seeks vengeance against him. Can Ulquiorra find a way home, or will he die trying?**

_**Hello, peoples! It's been so long since I last posted, but I finally got it out. Here be Chapter Three of the **_**Emerald Curtain. ****_ Please enjoy and make sure to review! :)_**

_**Also, a shout out to Hellnyte, Avid Reader of Fanfiction, kuroyukihime2, Mr. Hourglass, Zaralann, Echo Uchiha, deathshade37, An0ymous, sairakanzaki, Day-ingale, ..xx, and Deadzepplin for reviewing! I really appreciate it!(I think I got everyone. If I missed you, then message me and I'll add you on)**_

** ~/~/~/~**

**10 days, 18 hours, 44 minutes, and 12 seconds after departure from Little Garden:**

Ulquiorra reclined against the cedar wall of the compartment known as the. . ."Captain's cabin" if he recalled the boy's words correctly. Minus, of course, the vicious swearing. The boy had been less than cooperative over the past few days, often bursting into swear and attempting to behead the Arrancar with his cleaning mop, neither of which succeeded in gaining a rise from the stoic man. The boy also seemed to be losing his sanity, speaking to the vessel as if it were a sentient being. Ridiculous.

The Espada pinched the bridge of his nose.

And it was taking a toll on his patience. He had been experiencing severe migraines and stomach pains since the beginning of his voyage, the boy dubbing the pains as symptoms of something called '_sea-sickness_.' Obviously, the younger was incorrect. It was the boy's idiocy that was causing his physical discomfort, not some human disease. Ulquiorra Cifer did not get '_sea-sick._'

But onto more important matters.

The ship had been drifting with the currents for nearly a week-and-a-half due to their lack of a navigation device known as a _Log Pose, _an invention that supposedly allowed vessels to navigate the treacherous Grand Line. Brogy and Dorry had informed him of the Grand Line's unpredictable nature, but never once had the idiots mentioned anything near to a Log Pose.

He clenched his fist.

The boy had predicted that their food supplies would last approximately three more days, six if they stretched it, and water for only two. Now, normally this would not concern the Arrancar, but since his displacement into this world of idiocy also required him to ingest nutrients, he was mildly concerned. Food was not an issue. The ocean provided many edible Sea Kings. No, fresh drinking water was a much more imminent problem. And so, Ulquiorra spent many hours, during both day and night, scanning the horizon for land masses, none of which had appeared yet.

And nutrition was not his only concern.

Both the Shinigami and Espada most likely presumed him dead, meaning that he could expect no help (or interference) from them. Aizen-sama had probably made his move on the Seireitei by now, though, whether he had succeeded or failed was beyond Ulquiorra's realm of logical prediction. The top three Espada _were_ immensely powerful, far more powerful than himself, but the Gotei 13 were equally resilient. He doubted whether they would go down without a fight.

He briefly contemplated if the _onna_ would be permitted to battle.

However, since both parties believed him deceased, he would have to discover his own way back. Firstly, he would need to uncover more _reliable_ intelligence than what had been offered to him on Little Garden *twitch*, meaning that he would have to visit a knowledge source. A _'library',_ as humans called them, would be a good bet. Perhaps the next island would present such a place if it were fortunate enough to be inhabit—

_BOOM!_

Ulquiorra blinked as the ship rocked dangerously.

Muffled voices filtered in from the outside, the loudest shouting the noun "_fire_."

He could not comprehend _why_ they would need fire—especially on the ocean, seeing as it would present a safety hazard to the completely wooden ships—but it was apparently quite urgent.

_BOOM!_

The Espada glided forwards as the ship tipped unnaturally once more.

Perhaps they required fire to banish a Sea King?

He opened the door with a click.

"—_I ask again. Where is FEATHER HAT!_"

_BOOM!_

The _Red Heron_ reeled upwards as a cannonball exploded in the water mere meters from its stern.

"I _told you!_"

Ulquiorra turned his gaze to land on the boy who stood at the railing, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"He's DEAD!"

To the west, two pirate ships, far larger than the Arrancar's modest caravel, sailed side-by-side, cannons blazing as a bushy-haired man stood self-importantly on the railing of the nearer one.

"And I told _you_. I don't BELIEVE YOU!" He roared with laughter, the crew's of both vessels following suit. "Why should I trust some upstart gaki? Bring me Feather Hat!"

"But he—is—DEAD!"

The man's faces twisted in a snarl. "You aren't fooling me, kid! Feather Hat wouldn't go down that easily."

"I'm telling you the truth!" The boy's voice broke.

"Bring—"

"The juvenile is correct."

"Hn?" The man's gaze locked on the new inhabitant of the _Red Heron's _deck. "And you would _be_?"

"My name is of no importance," Ulquiorra stated dryly. "Leave now."

"HA! I said we aren't leavin' without Feather Hat!"

"The previous captain of this ship is dead."

"Yeah, right. The bastard took out an _entire_ 7th Division ship! There's no way he's dead." He snorted derisively.

"He is deceased. I killed him."

"Hn." The man raised his chin haughtily, reaching to grasp the hilt of his sword. "Even if that's true, and it obviously isn't—" he grinned "—it makes no difference. The ship's gotta go. _FIRE!_"

Ulquiorra blinked. "_Bala._"

The bushy-haired man's brow creased. "_Nandato—_"

_BOOM!_

The man gasped as his ship's hull exploded in a shower of splinters and water roared into the lower decks. He whirled around, face alive with anger as his crew erupted into screams. "GET THE PUMPS!" he cried.

_It will do no good ._ . .

"_CAPTAIN!_"

Turning on his heel, the man faced the yelling crew member crawling towards him across the tumultuous deck. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HELP THE SHIP!" he snarled.

. . ._to be so arrogant. . ._

_ "_But sir!" the sailor wailed, terror cracking his voice. "The keel's wrecked!"

_. . .I will make you atone. . ._

The bushy-haired captain's eyes widened as something flitted across his shoulder. "What the—_HWAAH!_"

Brown met with unwavering emerald as the _Red Heron's_ new commanding officer lifted the man from the deck.

_. . .you piece of. . ._

_CRASH!_

Shattered wood soared through the air as Ulquiorra jabbed the man's head through the floor.

_". . .trash."_

_BOOM!_

~/~/~/~

"_Oh, Kami._"

Hands trembling, the boy stared at the wreckage that floated on the surface of the sea as the pale-skinned man stalked across the water, hands in his pockets and his face an emotionless desert. The boy dropped to his knees and raised a hand to cover his eyes. He swallowed heavily. "_B—bakemono._"

~/~/~/~

Ulquiorra turned his gaze towards the second ship. It was smaller than its partner, though still an impressive galleon, with its flag flying high and its crew standing staunchly at their posts.

He cracked his neck.

And he could_ feel_ their fear.

"I have little reason to attack you," he stated, voice stoic. "Retreat now before incurring further penalty, and you will retain your lives."

Silence greeted him.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

The Espada raised an eyebrow as a man, garbed in a fur-clad coat with a sword sheath attached to his hip, slowly stepped forward, long black hair fanning out behind him in the light sea-breeze. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" His piercing voice rang clear through the silence.

Ulquiorra's feral eyes narrowed.

The long-haired man ground his teeth together. "Do you have any _idea what you've DONE?_" he cried, grabbing the railing with fierce vengeance.

"Yes."

The man paused.

Ulquiorra let his eyelids droop boredly. "I took out the trash."

_Nani?_

"You, _teme!_" the man snarled, face dissolving into unchecked fury as he whirled around and flung his arms out in a rather exaggerated motion.

_No more of this foolishness._

"_FIRE!_"

Eyes widening minutely, Ulquiorra watched with fascination as the cannonball collided with his chest.

_BOOM!_

"_Banzai!_"The long-haired man's mouth stretched upwards in a genuine grin as the sea exploded in a shower of mist and debris. _Oyaji won't have to worry anymore! _He punched the air victoriously. "We got 'im, men!"

But no cheering erupted. In fact, the silence simply seemed to grow, like a cage building up before their ears.

"Got who?"

The man froze, fist still in the air. _Impossible. _The hair on the back of his neck prickled. Slowly, he turned his head to look over his shoulder.

Ulquiorra stood mere inches from his position, hands in his pockets and scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.

He took a shaky step back. "_H—how?_"

The look the Arrancar shot him could only be described as immense and stoic disgust. "I am the _Cuatra Espada_ Ulquiorra Cifer," he replied calmly as he raised his arm to level with the long-haired man's chest. "Such weak weapons have no affect on me. _B—_"

"WAIT!"

Ulquiorra spared an irritated glance at the _Red Heron_'s deck as the boy balanced on its railing. Attempting to keep from plummeting into the ocean, he raised his hands to cup around his mouth. "WHERE'S THE LOG POSE?"

The Arrancar's eyes widened slightly. The Log Pose! How could he have forgotten such an important detail? He gritted his teeth. Apparently, he had let himself be influenced by Dorry and Brogy's utter stupidity.

"_HWAAAH!_"

_Hn?_

_He's not dodging._

Ulquiorra eyed the long-haired man's approaching sword with disbelief. Could the human really be so stupid?

_CRACK!_

After all, _ningen_ weapons didn't work on him.

With a resounding_ schriick!_ the metal shattered.

"W—what the—" The man grasped the hilt of his splintered sword with trembling hands.

"I told you." The Espada hadn't budged in the slightest. "Weak weapons do not affect me. Now," he continued without the tiniest change in tone. "Where is your navigation device?"

The crew took a step back, clutching their swords and other weapons as if they might provide some protection.

"Like I'd ever tell _you,_" the long-haired man answered, spit flying from his lips as he sank into a defensive position.

"Of course you will tell me." Ulquiorra looked at him blankly. "I require it."

His opponent snorted. "I'd rather die."

Raising his arm to level at the man's chest, the Arrancar's eyes flashed. "Very well."

"_Stop!_"

Ulquiorra glanced to the side as one of the crew members separated himself from his colleagues, dropping to his knees in front of the pair. However, he failed to even acknowledge the Espada, instead turning to the long-haired swordsman. How disrespectful. "Just give it to 'im, Jetta-sama," the man implored, and Ulquiorra had to stop himself from sneering. _Though he calls him _sama,_ he still walks all over his pride. _"A log pose isn't somethin' worth dying fo'."

The long-haired man, now dubbed 'Jetta', glared furiously at his crew member. "Yaza. Get out of here."

Even Ulquiorra had to raise an eyebrow at the sheer venom spewing from each word.

"B—but, sir." Yaza wrung his hands nervously. "It's not right to die fo' such a little thing. . ."

"It's not a little thing, _dammit!_" Jetta shot back. "You think our _pride_ is a little thing? Is that what you think?"

"N—no, I'm just sayin'—"

"Well STOP _just sayin'_, baka, and _back OFF_!" he shouted, lips twisting in a snarl.

Yaza glanced down at his knees, tightening his hands into fists. "I'm sorry, sir." When he looked back up, he turned to face Ulquiorra. "You want a log pose?" His voice was stony.

The Arrancar merely cocked his head.

"You can have it." The crewmember pulled something from his pocket, and Jetta's eyes widened in anger.

"Yaza, don't do this."

The addressed barely spared his superior a glance. "I wouldn't have to if you'd listen to sense." He tossed the object towards the black-haired Espada.

_How cold._

Ulquiorra caught it deftly in the open palm of his left hand, examining it with a critical eye. It matched the boy's description, but it would do no good to make assumptions. He'd double-check before he took any measures. Without a sound, he lifted the device into the air.

After a moment, a shout drifted from the deck of the _Red Heron_. "BRING IT CLOSER!"

"Hn." He applied a quick _sonido_ to appear next to the boy and, ignoring the young human's intake of breath and the shouts of surprise echoing from the opposing vessel, unceremoniously stuck the thing in the bewildered boy's face.

Stumbling slightly, the younger grabbed the railing for support. "Don't _do_ that!" he spat.

Ulquiorra blinked. "Do what?"

The boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "_Nothing._"

"Is this the navigation device?" He waved the object clasped between his fingers in his younger's face.

Cue glare. "Yeah, yeah, that's it."

The Arrancar nodded shortly and raised his arm to point at the other ship. A small green ball began to form at the tip of his index finger.

Eyes widening, the boy took a step back. "W—what are you doing?"

Ulquiorra lips twitched. "Keeping them from following us."

~/~/~/~

"How _dare_ you betray us!" Jetta shouted as he lifted Yaza up by the collar of his shirt and readied his fist for a vicious punch.

"B—but, sir!" Yaza wailed. "Just listen to m—me!"

The ship's captain snorted. "Why should I listen t'a two-faced punk like you?"

Yaza sniffed. "B—but I'm not two-faced! I'd never betray you, captain."

"You just _did!_"

The crew roared in agreement.

"No, I _didn't!_" he protested vehemently, balling his bony hands into fists. "The log pose I gave 'im—" Yaza inhaled shakily as he felt the long-haired man's glare. "—it was the eternal one."

Silence.

"You gave _him_ the Eternal Log Pose?"

"H—hai."

Jetta dropped his crewmember to the ground, allowing the cowardly man to make his scurrying escape, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hn. You do realize that was meant for _Oyaji_, don't ya?"

"Y—yes, sir."

"He was going to establish a direct trade route with that thing."

"I—I understand, sir."

"Do you understand? Do you _really_ understand, you _idiot_?" Jetta slammed his fist into the railing. "Eternal Log Poses to _that_ island are rare enough, and you just up and handed one to the murderer of are crewmates!" he roared.

Yaza whimpered. "B—but, sir. Now we can follow 'im."

_He's right._ The long-haired man took a heavy breath. _The trip through the islands will only take a few weeks from our nearest post, and it's not like that teme will be able to get off _that _island very quickly at all. In fact,_ he grinned,_ it's unlikely he'll even survive!_ He turned an eye towards the ship of the self-dubbed 'Ulquiorra', intending to gloat his victory merely through eye contact. The _teme_ was probably already on his way to his downfall!

But the ship was still there.

No matter! More time to gloat.

Jetta's eyes flickered with mild fascination as the _teme_ raised his arm to point towards them. Was he conversing with that child about his ship? And what was that green thing?

Slowly, Jetta's face dissolved into one of horror. "Oh, _kami_." Whirling on his heel, he waved his arms wildly, a look of sheer terror plastered on his face. "ABANDON SHIP! ABANDON _SHIP!_"

~/~/~/~

"_Cero._"

_BOOM!_

The boy looked on in horror, mouth agape, as the viridian beam annihilated the once proud ship. Ants of people flew through the air, somehow having escaped the brunt of the attack as water roared beneath them, protesting its sudden loss of matter.

"W—why did you do that?" He clenched his fists, shoulders shaking noticeably as he shot an accusatory glare at the dark-haired Arrancar.

Ulquiorra replaced his hand to his pocket. "If their ship had remained intact, there was a high probability that they would follow us." Turning towards the boy, he held out the Log Pose. "Navigate us to the next land mass."

He took it with a trembling hand. After all, Ulquiorra didn't ask favors. "But I'm no navigator!" he protested weakly.

"We have no other viable option."

"We _did_ have an option, before you _blew it to kingdom come!_" the younger exploded, gesturing abstractly towards the smoking debris and struggling men that littered the sea's surface.

Ulquiorra glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "They would not have assisted us."

"And how d'you figure _that_?"

"I slaughtered their comrades." _Such conviction._

"So? You slaughtered _mine!_"

"Yes, but—" The Espada returned his gaze forwards. "—their conviction was far greater than yours." And with that, Ulquiorra disappeared into the Captain's chambers.

_H—how dare he!_ The boy fumed, clenching his fist around their fragile lifeline known as a Log Pose. _That _teme_ thinks he can just insult me like that?_ He snorted and crossed his arms self-importantly. _Well he's got another thing com—_

_FLOOSH!_

The young human glanced up as something fluttered above his head. He narrowed his eyes. _Is that a flag?_

Apparently having been caught in the _Red Heron_'s netting, the black cloth undulated slowly in the wind, a deceptively peaceful tribute to its crew's early demise.

Slightly curious as to what symbol the late pirates had possessed, he squinted and shielded his eyes from the son.

And his face turned a ghastly pale.

~/~/~/~

_—require several barrels of water as well as protein and—_

"_Teme-sama!"_

Ulquiorra glanced up in minor annoyance as the boy barged through the door, interrupting his—what was it called? Ah, yes—his grocery list. "Why are you ceasing to navigate this ship?"

The boy ignored his question. "We have a problem."

Raising an eyebrow, the Espada sighed. "Does the Log Pose not work?" He should have expected as much. Honestly, Dorry and Brogy's stupidity really _was_ contagious.

"No, it's not that—"

_Bueno._

"—We just blew up two of Whitebeard's ships."

~/~/~/~

**37 hours, 43 minutes, and 11 seconds after destruction of Whitebeard's vessels and the young human's descent into paranoia:**

The boy scanned the horizon, eyes diligently glued to his spyglass. _Where are they. Where are they._ . . .

They had to be _somewhere!_

He swallowed thickly. Whitebeard wouldn't give up that easily. No, the humungous pirate captain was definitely coming for him, and he knew it. No stoic, pale-faced, questionably-human being constantly telling him to navigate instead of search for '_non-existent_' enemies could tell him differently.

"What are you doing?"

The boy paled, electing to carefully shrug the small spyglass into the fold of his sleeve. _Speak of the devil._

"N—nothing."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "That is highly doubtful."

"Uh—ha, ha, ha. . . ."

Snorting slightly, the Arrancar turned away. "Nonetheless, there is a land mass directly northwest of this location. Navigate us to it."

The boy's eyes brightened. _Yosh! I can board a different ship there and escape _two_monsters in one fell swoop. Of course, Whitebeard will chase after me, so I'll have to create bunkers across the world in order to delay his mighty wrath—_

"Also, if you attempt to escape my sight, I will slaughter you in an exceedingly painful manner."

"H—hai."

_ Dammit!_

~/~/~/~

Ulquiorra stared up at the abysmally large ships anchored in the island's harbor with mild surprise. Yes, he conceded that there were many vessels larger than the _Red Heron_, but this was _ridiculous!_ The monstrosities must have been twenty-stories tall, not including the masts.

As the ship pulled up to a wooden plank structure, probably intended to be a walkway, he turned on his heel. "Boy!"

"Y—yeah?"

"Anchor the vessel immediately."

"On it."

The Arrancar oversaw the boy's progress out of his peripheral vision, not really bothering to examine any of the specifics of 'ship-anchoring.' Instead, he wished to ascertain that the younger wasn't going to swing a metal object at the back of his head. However, it seemed the boy was far too much in awe of their surroundings to even bother in his attempts to assassinate the dark-haired Espada.

_Perhaps one beneficiary result came from these ridiculously oversized ships._

"We are leaving."

"_M—matte!_ I'm not done yet!"

Ulquiorra glanced at him. "Then you will finish in the next 10.52 seconds or perish."

"_GAH!_"

A flurry of activity erupted behind him as the Arrancar began to mentally count down by milliseconds.

_10.23—_

"DONE!"

Nodding slightly, he stepped into the air.

"Hey, wait! How am I supposed to get up there," the boy protested, gesturing up at the 'walkway' far above their heads.

"How should I know?" Ulquiorra continued his ascent as the younger scowled haughtily.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered mutinously.

Ignoring his junior's grumblings, the Arrancar quickly scaled the vertical distance between him and the wooden structure.

Honestly, the over-sized surroundings _were_ rather strange, but, for all he knew, it could be the norm for this island. . . .after all, he wasn't particularly inclined to trust his sources of information.

He calmly stepped onto the walkway structure, raising an eyebrow at the enormous width of each plank. _5.923 meters._ The island's vegetation must have been prolific.

A breeze flitted through his dark hair as he glanced around, looking for some marker or sign to note the land mass's title. _Ah._ Approximately 34.449 meters down the walkway hung a rather tattered wooden sign, its surface flaked with chipped, blue paint.

The Arrancar squinted, unable to make out the sloppy words it displayed. And then he paled even further beyond his natural complexion.

Behind him, the boy gasped as he tugged himself onto the sweet, horizontal surface known as the walkway. "Gee, thanks for helpin' m—are you even listening?"

However, Ulquiorra was not listening because on the tattered sign hung the words _Welcome to ELBAF._

~/~/~/~

**Japanese Dictionary: **

**Onna – woman**

**Gaki – brat**

**Kami – god or deity**

**Bakemono – monster**

**Teme – fool or bastard *NOTE* The proper meaning of _teme_ is a rude version of _you_. However, for the purposes of this story, I changed it to a noun form to suit the English grammar. I recognize this and do not claim it to be technically correct; it is simply an executive decision I made for this particular story.**

**Nani – what**

**Nandato – what the. . .**

**Banzai – hooray**

**Oyaji – 'pops' or an informal version of 'father'**

**Ningen – human**

**Baka – idiot**

**Yosh – 'all right!' or 'yeah!'**

**Hai – yes, sir**

**Matte – wait**

**Spanish Dictionary:**

**Bueno – good**

_**Uno:**_** Yes, the ships were part of Whitebeard's fleet. However, neither Jetta and Yaza nor the bushy-haired man are canon. They are OCs that I created for the singular purpose of bringing Whitebeard (and, consequently, Ace) into the picture as well as getting Ulquiorra and the boy a Log Pose.**

_**Dos:**_** I have not named the boy yet, so don't bother looking for his name. There has simply been no viable opportunity to give his name as Ulquiorra would not ask for it nor would the boy volunteer it. I believe that I may reveal his name in the next chapter, but I'm not exactly positive yet.**

_**Tres:**_** The Log Pose Yaza gave Ulquiorra was an Eternal Log Pose for Elbaf. As the canon shows, Whitebeard often does dealings with other races, such as Fishmen and Mermen, even going so far as to protect Fishman island. I believe that it is well inside the ****realm of possibility for Whitebeard to attempt to make an alliance with the giants of Elbaf through a trade route.**

_**Cuatro:**_** In the canon, Dorry said that Elbaf was located in another part of the Grand Line, meaning that it was probably an island on another route (remember, there are five routes that one can take through the Grand Line). An Eternal Log Pose would be able to overcome the barriers between switching routes and guide the **_**Red Heron**_** to Elbaf.**

_**Cinco:**_** Yes, some of Jetta's crew did survive. He gave the warning early enough for a few of them to throw themselves over the railing, though most of them are probably heavily injured and will not survive very long. Jetta himself is dead as he is the captain of the ship and would not leave it no matter what.**

_**Seis:**_** Yaza really was trying to be loyal to Jetta. He didn't want to see his beloved captain die, so he gave Ulquiorra the Log Pose in an effort to keep Jetta alive.**

_**Siete:**_** Yes, the boy is paranoid and probably will be for the rest of his life, the poor soul. You have to admit, Whitebeard is a pretty imposing character. :P**

_**Ocho:**_** I plan to have an entire arc occur on Elbaf and to have Ulquiorra face his first major enemy.**

_**Nueve:**_** Nearly everyone on Elbaf will be OC. In the canon, we know almost nothing about it, meaning that I have a wide range for creativity.**

_**Diez:**_** Ace will make his first appearance next chapter, though he will not come into contact with Ulquiorra for a while.**


	4. Island of the Giants

**Title: The Emerald Curtain**

**Author: KobaltWolf**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Minor language and violence**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own _One Piece_ or _Naruto. _ They are the property of their respective owners. However, I do own any OCs that might appear**

**Summary: After his fight with Ichigo, Ulquiorra is dumped in the world of One Piece. Now he's been mistaken for a pirate by Marines, while Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander seeks vengeance against him. Can Ulquiorra find a way home, or will he die trying?**

_**I apologize for not having posted sooner! I have been having technical issues. My laptop's fan started dying and it took a very long time to get the part. I replaced it just last night and have basically been typing ever since on finishing this story. Hopefully, the problem has been fixed. The fan appears to be working and all the tests I've run show that it's functioning fine. However, it's still making an odd noise. If it continues or gets worse I may open it up again to see if a screw's loose or something.**_

_**Nonetheless, here's chapter four! I do not think its my best by any means and I haven't revised it nearly at all. I wanted to get it out to you though, seeing as its been months.**_

_**Also, I shout out to Smozzick, KittyWillCutYou, AgniFox, ippus67, Darkfirelight, To a cErTaIn KiTsUnE, bravekid, NoctaLightx, Ciel Black018, EchoUchiha, Aya-chan's Alice, goldenqueenofthecove, Day-ingale, the Original Anonymous, Deadzepplin, Pommyth, Zaralann, HellNyte, Peachcandy, bookwyrm31, kuroyukihime2, and EVA-Saiyajin for their wonderful reviews! (If I missed anyone, message me and I'll add them)**_

**2 hours, 25 minutes, and 34 seconds after arrival on Elbaf**

_Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill._

Ulquiorra Cifer chanted the word in his head like a mantra. _Elbaf_. Of all the places in this Kami-damned world, he had to land in friggin' _Elbaf!_ Maybe Aizen really was a god, just a really cruel one with a snarky sense of humor. No, no. . . .that was impossible. This was a parallel dimension. Aizen could not affect him here.

The Arrancar snorted slightly.

"Oi, oi!"

Ulquiorra glanced up and raised an eyebrow.

3.24 yards in front of him, the boy stood gawking at a flower.

"What is it?" the Espada asked monotonously.

The boy turned to gape at him. "What is it?" he replied incredously. "_What IS it? _Look at that thing!" He gestured wildly at the 9 foot daisy towering above him.

He looked at it. ". . . .yes?"

The boy gawked at him for a moment. "It's _huge!_"

"Your point?"

"Gah!" Grumbling, the younger smacked his own forehead. "Yer impossible."

Ulquiorra cocked his head. "That is a logical fallacy. Someone cannot be _impossible_, as the person described is already possible."

The boy merely rolled his eyes and stalked ahead. "Whatever."

Ulquiorra calmly strode after him.

"So. . . ." the boy began after several meters of silence. "Where're we goin'?"

"To acquire supplies."

"No, no. Not _why_ we're goin'. _Where _we're goin'."

"The nearest location stocked with adequate supplies."

The boy shot a glare at him. "And where would _that_ be?"

"I do not know."

"You _don't know_."

"That is what I stated."

"Well, where the heck are we _goin'!_"

"To the nearest location stocked with adequate s—"

"_No!_"

Ulquiorra stared at him blankly as the boy threw his arms up in a very illogical gesture and stomped a foot down on the dusty ground.

"That's not what I _meant! _I want to know, _specifically_, where in the heck _we're goin'!_"

"The nearest location stocked with adequate supplies."

"_GAH!_"

~/~/~/~

He was impossible. Utterly _impossible!_ People can't be impossible? _HAH!_ Biggest understatement of the millennium.

The boy shot a glare at the stoic, abnormally pale man strolling behind him, emerald eyes fixed blankly on nothingness. It was _infuriating!_ The moron just goes around slaughtering people with his weird, freaky powers (probably ate some sort of Devil Fruit), and _then_ acts like he's the emo-king-of-the-world.

The boy's lips twitched in a silent snarl.

He'd get him back. He'd get him back for all he'd done. No one was invincible, and when Ulquiorra was at his weakest, he'd slaughter him.

~/~/~/~

_Oh, my freakin' Kami._

The boy stared dazedly at the town—or, more specifically, _up_ at the town.

"W-what the—" His voice trailed off in disbelief.

"It appears to be the local point of civilization."

"I know _that_." The boy shot a glare at the apathetic Arrancar. "It's just that the '_point of civilization_' is a _thousand feet tall!_"

"972.3 feet."

"_Whatever!_"

The stomped his foot angrily but made no forward movement, even as Ulquiorra strolled past him, towards the looming town. He already knew what he would find.

The boy, however, remained rooted to the ground.

This, in itself, did not especially bother the Espada. Fear was the natural (though impractical) response. But fear that impeded the progress of Ulquiorra's plans had to be eradicated. Therefore, as he passed the stricken boy, Ulquiorra grasped his upper arm and began to tow him forwards.

"OI!" the boy yelped.

"Yes?"

The younger glared at him in disbelief for a moment before shouting, "Let me _go!_"

Ulquiorra gazed nonchalantly at him. "If I were to let you go, your phobia would affect your ability to function."

Despite this seemingly sound logic, the boy continued to struggle vehemently. "I said _let go of me!_"

"No."

He spat on the floor as he flailed his free arm wildly. "What d'ya mean _no_?" he protested. "_No_ is not an option!"

"There are an infinite number of options. Therefore, _no_ is an option."

This logic also failed to even slow his phobia. "Just shut up and _let me go!_"

Ulquiorra stared at him, unimpressed, as he continued to saunter towards the town. "No."

It became obvious that the emerald-eyed man would not sway in his response, and the boy lapsed into frustrated silence. The gigantic town loomed above them as voices began to trickle through the air, and the boy could've sworn he felt the earth shake.

It was then that the first inhabitants made themselves known.

"_**OI!**_"

_Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

Ulquiorra impassively raised an eyebrow as an enormous male emerged from the city's streets, eyeing the miniscule pair with manifest suspicion.

"**Wha'cha couple o' little people like you doin' 'ere, eh?**" he inquired, bending down on one knee in what seemed to be an effort to make the smaller organisms feel more at ease.

"We require supplies," Ulquiorra responded monotonously, raising his voice slightly so as to be heard by the hulking creature.

The giant grunted in acknowledgment. "**What kind?**"

"Nutrition, hydration, and shelter for the duration of this solar period."

The giant blinked dumbly. "**. . . .what kind?**"

"Nutrition, hydration, and shel—"

"What he means t'say is," the boy interjected with an irritated glance at the Arrancar, seemingly overcoming his phobia in order to garner a chance at a warm meal, "we need food, water, and a place to stay."

The giant rolled back on his heels with an explosive chuckle, and the boy once more dissolved into his 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' stance. "**Well, jeez! Why didn't ya just **_**say**_** so?**"

Ulquiorra's emerald eyes narrowed as he muttered mutinously, "I did say so."

The giant ignored him as he continued to chuckle. "**I can—**_**hic—**_**cert'nly help ya ****wi'that. But—**_**hic—**_**before I do, what er'ya two named?**"

"I fail to see the importance of that piece of information," the Arrancar replied coldly.

The laughter abruptly ceased, causing the boy to choke on his tongue.

"**Oi,**" the giant started, anger obviously tinging his tone. "**Names'er important! Don't b'little 'em.**"

"I am not belittling them. I merely do not understand your obsession with titles," Ulquiorra replied.

"**It's notta obs'sion!**" he growled and slowly began to gather his height once more. "**Watch yer mouth, human.**"

Emerald eyes flashed as the Espada's lithe form tightened. "Believe me, I am anything but human."

The boy glanced anxiously between the two most impending threats to his life as tension sparked in the air. "O—oi!" he stuttered in an attempt to save the rapidly degrading situation. "M—my name's Saburo!"

Both glanced at him, one more out of irritated stoicism than the other.

Silence reigned in the atmosphere for several moments. A cold sweat broke out on Saburo's forehead.

Suddenly, a grin split the giant's face. "**Well, nice'ta meet'ya, Saburo!**" He stuck out his enormous hand to shake the small boy's own. "**I'm Jetti.**"

"N—nice to meet ya. . . ." Saburo stammered, at a loss for words.

"**Nice'ta meet'ya, too!**"

"You already said that," Ulquiorra muttered.

The giant ignored him. "**And who'd yer friend be?**"

"A—ano. . . ." Saburo threw a glance at his stoic captor, uncertain as to whether he should answer.

"**A'ano?**" Jetti grinned again and clapped his hands together. "**What an unusual name, but a good one nonetheless! After all, no name's a bad'un.**"

Saburo's eyes widened at the obvious misunderstanding. "N—no! That's not what I—" he started, but his protests went unheard.

"**Well, I know a great tavern where ya can stay fer th'night.**" Jetti continued as he stood, brushing the dust off his black jacket. "**The owner's a pers'nal friend o'mine, so I can prob'bly get ya a good deal.**" He winked and Saburo gulped. "**Right this way!**" He turned and set off into the over-sized city.

After a moment of hesitation, Ulquiorra followed, still carrying the stuttering Saburo.

"B—but—I—I—" the boy spluttered helplessly. Absently, he wondered how it was possible that Ulquiorra was keeping pace with the far larger Giant despite his obviously shorter step. "H—his names ain't—"

"Boy."

Saburo nearly jumped out of skin at the stoic retort.

Ulquiorra continued without turning his head. "As I stated before, titles do not matter. Therefore, cease in your attempts to explain your folly."

_Well, that was sensitive_. Nonetheless, the boy's mouth clamped shut. This action, however, did not initiate silence. Instead, it simply allowed both to become aware of Jetti's incessant ramblings about this or that in the enormous civilization.

"**An' over 'ere we've the largest fountain in the world. . . .**"

Both smaller beings twitched as water was sprayed in their faces.

"**. . . .an' there's the largest drain pipe. . . .**"

Saburo coughed as a dollop of liquidy sludge dumped itself on them.

"**. . . .an' the largest frisbee. . . .**"

The boy yelped as something red and the size and approximate shape of a small ferris wheel whizzed through the air, just feet from his head. In the distance, someone shouted "_**Worm burner!**_"

"**. . . .an' that's—oh, look! The largest albatross!**"

Saburo promptly feinted.

~/~/~/~

Ulquiorra felt like stabbing something. First, he'd been sprayed with water. Then, covered with questionable sludge. Next, almost beheaded by a stray, unidentified flying object (he believed humans used the acronym U.F.O). And finally, he had the pleasure of attempting to dodge an abnormally-sized seabird's waste. _And_ if that wasn't enough, the boy had decided to abruptly lose consciousness.

Yes, Ulquiorra definitely wanted to stab something.

"**Ya sure yer friends 'lright?**"

The Arrancar responded with barely a glance at the passed out Saburo that he towed behind him. "No."

Jetti looked at him with a critical eye. "**So. . . .why don't ya check 'im?**"

"It is unnecessary."

"**. . . .why?**"

"There is no point."

"**. . . .why?**"

"Because I said so."

"**. . . .w—**"

"Be silent," Ulquiorra commanded.

"**H—hai.**" Despite his comparatively tiny size, the pale man was still quite intimidating. "**So. . . .why'd ya come 'ere?**" Jetti started, wringing his hands together.

Ulquiorra glanced at him. "I believe we have already resolved this issue. We require nutrition, hydration, and—"

"**No, no,**" the giant interjected. "**Not **_**why **_**ya came 'ere, but why ya came '**_**ere**_."

"I fail to see the difference."

"**Elbaf ain't the place fer ships to be stoppin' at, A'ano, 'specially not pirate ships an'—**"

"I am not a pirate."

Jetti paused with a disbelieving look. "**. . . .I see. But still, Elbaf ain't the. . . .friendli'st o' places. Yer lucky ya ran into me n' not someone else,**" he persisted.

"The attitude of the inhabitants does not affect me."

"**Well, it **_**should!**_"

The Arrancar ignored him, not faltering in his step despite the volume of the shout.

Jetti glared, but fell silent.

The pair walked on, Ulquiorra quickening his steps in order to keep pace with the giant and Jetti disregarding the Espada's stoic presence with all his might. Saburo remained unconscious.

Without the constant jabbering of Jetti, Ulquiorra had to admit that the town was rather quiet, even deserted. Other than the enormous Frisbee, he had seen no sign of other inhabitants. It was odd, seeing as the buildings were obviously well-kept and the roads were clear. From what Ulquiorra knew of the culture of the Living, this town was. . . ._prime real-estate._

"**Wonderin' why ev'rybody's gone?**" Jetti commented softly.

The unnaturally pale man glanced at him. "Hai."

Jetti hesitated before answering. "**They're all in worship.**"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. A religious service? Neither Dorry nor Brogy had ever mentioned a spiritual system. Then again, they hadn't mentioned a lot of things. "Hm."

"**I'm on patrol duty. Lots git drawn before ev'ry service, 'n I got picked t'day,**" Jetti continued with a sigh.

Ulquiorra shot a glance at him. _Patrol duty? _As far as he knew, that phrase normally had a negative connotation.

"'**Course, this ain't the first time I've been chos'n. First time I've caught any'un though.**"

Emerald eyes narrowed. _Caught?_

"**Service should be gettin' out in a few minutes so we should hurry. My house's just 'round the corner.**"

Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks. "You previously stated that we were going to a tavern," he said, voice dangerously monotone.

Jetti turned to look at him. "**Huh? I did? Ya must be mistak'n.**" He waved one of his hands dismissively. "**Don't worry 'bout it, though. I do that sort'a thing all the time.**" He smiled, revealing a set of yellow, tombstone teeth, and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

The Espada's eyes flashed as he noted the giant's pulse rate climbing. He paused, before consenting with a stiff, "Of course."

"**Now right this way.**" Jetti made a sweeping gesture with his hands, indicating that Ulquiorra may walk ahead.

"Since I am unaware of the location of our destination," Ulquiorra replied shortly, "it would be more suitable that you lead."

Jetti hesitated for just a split second before nodding with a grin and strolling forward.

"_Bala._"

_ BOOM!_

"_**GAH!**_" Jetti collapsed to his knees, clutching the back of his calf in pain as his face twisted. "**What the h—**"

Ulquiorra cut him off as he appeared in front of kneeling giant. "Your skills of deceit are truly pitiful," he stated as a small black ball began to coalesce before his outstretched index finger. "_Ce—_"

"_DON'T!_"

The Arrancar's eyes widened in shock as something grabbed hold of his arm and yanked it away from the direction of the giant.

"—_ro."_

With an enormous roar, the black and green energy ripped through one of the buildings to the left, incinerating it on contact.

"¿_Qué—_" Ulquiorra, however, had no time to finish his sentence as an enormous hand swatted him and the thing grappling itself to his arm through the wall of another of the buildings.

_ CRASH!_

The Arrancar coughed slightly as he felt his innards bruise. His lip twisted in a snarl at his own vulnerability. He'd been thrown through steel and stone before and emerged unscathed, but this mortal body couldn't even handle a little wood—he blinked his eyes—but it was not the time to be cursing his own weakness.

_ BAM!_

Ulquiorra flipped himself forwards into the street, hauling the being attached to his arm with him. He glanced down and hissed as he saw Saburo vehemently gripping his bicep. "Release your hold on my arm," he growled.

Saburo promptly ignored his command. "Why are ya attackin' Jetti?" he cried.

Ulquiorra blinked in realization. The boy must have regained consciousness only to see him about to launch a _Cero _at an injured giant, not realizing the fact that Jetti had been deceiving them. Ulquiorra, however, had no time to deal with the boy's ignorance. "_¡Cállate!_" he demanded as he sank into a defensive position, eyeing the rapidly approaching Jetti who was now back on his feet with a rather angry look on his face.

Saburo's brow creased in confusion at the unfamiliar word. "Huh?"

The Arrancar gritted his teeth. He continuously forgot the fact that these people were unfamiliar with Spanish. "_Shut up!_" He dodged to the right as the giant's foot stomped down ferociously at his previous location.

Ulquiorra's mind began to race as he analyzed the situation. His body was weakened and, despite his rigorous training on Little Garden, he still was mostly unaccustomed to its shortcomings.

He dodged again.

If what Jetti had said was correct, the service would be letting out soon, meaning that other giants may come to assist him. Ulquiorra could probably take down Jetti if no one else interfered—after all, the Arrancar was no weakling—but he doubted his ability to defend against multiple attackers, especially attackers of a giant's caliber.

A fist punched the ground beside him.

Therefore he needed to finish this battle quickly and flee.

"_Bala._"

Jetti roared as the attack hit his ankle.

Taking advantage of the opening, Ulquiorra used _sonido _to appear behind the enormous being. He once again charged a cero, but the giant recovered in time to knock him backwards with a well-placed punch.

The Espada growled as the reiatsu he had been building up in the cero discharged back into the air.

Saburo screamed as he and Ulquiorra were blown backwards. "Oi,oi! What's goin' on?"

Ulquiorra ignored him as he skidded to the side, balancing his weight on the balls of his heels. "Stay still and don't let go," he commanded.

"H—huh? What are you gonna do?"

With his free arm, the Arrancar gripped the hilt of _Murciélago_ and, with a small tug, unsheathed it. His emerald eyes narrowed, and he shot forward, sword balanced perfectly in his hand.

Jetti raised his hand to block the oncoming attack, but Ulquiorra parried with a quick slash. Without even a moment's hesitation, he sliced downwards, shredding down to the muscle of the giant's arm before flipping backwards to hover in the air. Charging his blade with reiatsu, he began a barrage of rapid strikes and jabs. Jetti growled as he was forced backwards, though he cowered slightly as the attack increased in ferocity.

_ Almost._

Ulquiorra pulled back his blade for the finishing blow.

_** BONG!**_

The Arrancar faltered, just for a moment, but it was enough. Jetti swiped him out of the air with a powerful punch and knocked him to the ground. Ulquiorra's eyes widened as he felt his body hit the ground with a heavy thud. Saburo yelped, detaching from the Espada's arm and rolling several feet before slowing to a halt. A cough welled in the abnormally pale man's chest, but he suppressed it and flipped to his feet. Despite Jetti fierce attacks, Ulquiorra's endurance and power was more than a match for him.

"_**Oi!**_** Jetti!**"

"**What's goin' on?**"

"**Who's tha'guy?**"

The Arrancar glanced up and blinked.

But, in his current state, it was almost certain that he could not handle an entire group of giants.

They poured around the corner, faces either twisted in concern for there injured comrade are snarling in anger at the small, pale being that injured him. All were enormous, though their shapes and sizes varied and their visages were all unique.

A few feet away, Saburo groaned in pain, probably having broken something in the fall. His consciousness, however, was not enough to recognize the danger of the approaching horde.

Now, Ulquiorra would never flee if their were any other option, but he was cornered. He could probably escape with a _sonido_ and make it back to the ship before the giants caught up. That was his only choice. He'd have to figure out some way to get nutrition and hydration later. Survival came first.

He grabbed Saburo by the sleeve of his shirt and hauled him up over his shoulder. The boy issued a soft muttering of protests, but his body failed to moved in any way that would threaten Ulquiorra's ability to carry him. The Arrancar paused and began to gather reiatsu in his feet. The giants were still far away. He could make it back to the—

_**BANG!**_

__~/~/~/~

A man stood on top of a small, crescent shaped raft, face shaded by the brim of his orange hat as he looked down at the wreckage floating in the current. His chest was bare and an enormous skull and cross bones symbol was tattooed across his back. He pressed the corners of his lips tightly together.

"_H—help!_"

The man's head shot up at the faint call, revealing a freckled face framed by unruly black hair. "Oi!" he shouted, scanning the water for the speaker as he tensed his muscles. "Where are you?"

_Splash!_

He whipped his head around and his eyes landed on a patch of frothing water, but, instead of diving in to save the drowning person as most people would've, the man simply sailed over, flames issuing from his feet to power the raft. He reached down and grabbed onto the first thing he could touch, which happened to be the terrified man's shirt. With a grunt, he heaved the victim onto his raft.

"Oi!" The freckled man lightly slapped the victim's face in an effort to elicit a response. "You alive?"

"H—hai!" The newly-rescued man struggled to sit up as he coughed and wretched, pounding his chest to clear it of water. "A—arigato. I thought I was a goner. I don't wanna think 'bout what would've happened if you hadn't shown—_ah!_" The man jumped in shock as his eyes landed on the face of his rescuer. "_C—commander Ace!_"

Portgas D. Ace ignored the man's obviously stricken look. "What's your name?" he pressed. This was no time for fun and games.

The man swallowed loudly. "Y—yaza, sir!"

"Well, Yaza," Ace continued, "Tell me what happened here."

"W—well, ya see, we were goin' to confront Feather Hat like we were ordered to," Yaza stuttered, "b—but there was somebody else on the ship." He paused.

Ace's eyes narrowed. "Who was it?"

Yaza nervously rubbed his hands together. "H—he said his name was. . . .was. . . ."

"_Well?_" He didn't have time for this!

"_A—ah_, Urulkiorra Schiffer!" Yaza yelped. _Or something of the like. . . ._

_Urulkiorra Schiffer, eh?_

Yaza cringed as a growl welled in Ace's throat.

"Well," Ace pulled the cowering man to his feet. "We'd better be on our way. I'll drop you off at the next island and another ship will come by to pick you up."

"W—why can't I stick with ya?" Yaza asked nervously, having no desire to be left alone.

Ace's visage darkened. "I need to settle this, and I can't have anyone slowing me down."

** ~/~/~/~**

_**Japanese Dictionary:**_

Kami – god/deity

Hai – yes

Arigato – thank you

_**Spanish Dictionary:**_

¡Cállate! – shut up!

_**Uno: **_**Yes, Ulquiorra is showing a large amount of emotion at the beginning of this chapter, most notably annoyance and frustration, but this is to be expected. He escaped from Little Garden only to land on an island with even more giants, a race which he despises due to his experiences with Dorry and Brogy.**

_**Dos:**_** Jetti is far friendlier to Ulquiorra and Saburo at their first meeting for several reasons. Firstly, he wants to invite them in. He can't let them escape or the consequences to himself would be very bad should someone find out. Secondly, he is on the outskirts of the village, so he does not have to deal with the reality that he is basically leading Ulquiorra and Saburo into a trap. Thirdly, he would probably still be very friendly towards them if the circumstances were different. He is not cruel and does not really want to hurt the pair, but he can't avoid it. As such, he becomes more and more nervous until Ulquiorra notices and takes action against him.**

_**Tres: **_**During the scene where Jetti points out several of the world's "largest" things, a Frisbee is thrown and someone shouts "worm burner". This is merely for comedic effect. Most of the giants are in worship and are not playing Frisbee. If you truly wanted an explanation, the explanation would be that other giants are out on patrol and are secretly shirking their responsibilities.**

_**Cuatro:**_** Also relating to the "largest" scene—the entire scene is for comedic effect. I believe I may have gone overboard, but I do not have the time to rewrite it. Also, I wanted to emphasize the fact that Elbaf is a very inhospitable place for a "little person." Not only the people are unfriendly, but the environment is as well.**

_**Cinco:**_** Yes, the boy's name is Saburo. He is an OC, and Ulquiorra's crew will mostly, if not completely, consist of OCs. I do not feel that I could take other characters from the series and adapt them into the environment of Ulquiorra's crew. However, I will try my best to flesh out and develop realistic OCs with personalities and motivations and fears, and no Mary-Sues. **

_**Seis:**_** Saburo reveals his name to Jetti because he wants to avoid violence. He realizes that giants are extremely strong and he does not want to anger one. Ulquiorra won't tell Jetti his name, so Saburo offers his instead.**

_**Siete: **_**Jetti stresses the importance of names for a specific reason. I do not want to give away this reason, but it will be revealed in the next chapter.**

_**Ocho:**_** The giants' worship will also be revealed next chapter. It will play a big role in this story arc. **

_**Nueve: **_**Ulquiorra is still very weak compared to his old body. He does not know the limitations or how to use his new body, which makes him even more vulnerable. Also, Jetti is very powerful, as all giants are. Even Ulquiorra cannot take them out easily.**

_**Diez: **_**Ace has been introduced and is now on Ulquiorra's trail, despite his and Yaza's slightly bad spelling. Yaza will point him in the direction of Elbaf and Ace will pursue the Arrancar, though they will not meet until after Ulquiorra leaves the island.**


End file.
